24 February 2023
Kate M
[FYI request #21588 email]
DOIA 2223-1581
DOIA 2223-1582
Dear Kate
Thank you for your emails of 20 January 2023, to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
(MBIE) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following:
Request DOIA 2223-1581
I would like to know how many people who are working within dairy farming (hold a current visa
working within dairy farming) that are still waiting for their RV2021 to be processed. And if
possible how many RV2021 visas that have been granted to those who were on a visa linked to
dairy farming.
Request DOIA 2223-1582
I would like to know how many people are currently under assessment and meet priority criteria
for the RV2021. To give some clarity and hope to those of us who are unfortunately not
considered priority as to when the queuing system might become straight forward again.
Response to DOIA 2223-1581
Please see the below table for the number of principal applicants, who currently hold a visa with an
ANZSCO occupation for Dairy Cattle Farm Worker or Dairy Cattle Farmer, and who have a 2021 Resident
Visa application currently in progress, as at 6 February 2023.
ANZSCO Occupation of current visa
Number of In Progress Applications
Dairy Cattle Farm Worker
355
Dairy Cattle Farmer
646
Total
1,001
Please see the below table for the number of people who have been granted a 2021 Resident Visa as at
6 February 2023, with a principal applicant who previously held a visa onshore as at 29 September 2021,
with an ANZSCO occupation for Dairy Cattle Farm Worker or Dairy Cattle Farmer.
ANZSCO Occupation of previous visa
Number of Approved Applications
Dairy Cattle Farm Worker
1,311
Dairy Cattle Farmer
1,889
Total
3,200
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Response to 2223-1582
As at 18 February 2023, there were 15,157 applications for a 2021 Resident Visa with the status “Under
Assessment”. Of these, 516 applications meet criteria for prioritisation as set out in the immigration
instructions at A16.1 for the order of processing visa applications. These instructions can be found at
the following link:
Operational Manual - Immigration New Zealand. Issue Date: 24 January 2023
Operational Manual - Immigration New Zealand. Issue Date: 22 August 2016
Please note: this reporting is only available for applications made under Phase two of the 2021 Resident
Visa. Phase two applicants applied using Immigration New Zealand’s enhanced Immigration Online
system. This is a different platform to the one used by Phase one applicants which records the stages of
applications differently. The allocation of an entire application to an immigration officer no longer occurs
and this is therefore no longer an indicator that the application is being processed. A number of
processing activities now occur on an application before a final decision is made.
You can find 2021 Resident Visa processing data on our website at the below link:
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/waiting-for-a-visa/how-long-it-takes-to-process-
your-visa-application/2021-resident-visa-processing-times
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information
about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802
602.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, or if you require any further assistance,
please contac
t [email address]
Yours sincerely
Michael Carley
Acting General Manager, Border and Visa Operations
Immigration New Zealand
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